All in all, I thought 2007 yielded quite a few really good albums.  I also noticed it was a year when a large number of my friends who used to say, “Brad, you listen to weird music” started to actually listen to the same music I do which is pretty great.   Here are my favorites of the past year.  I’ve also included video for each selection. 

20)

Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

I’ve never been a big fan of Modest Mouse.  I’ve always thought it was a little too weird, and I could never get past Isaac Brock’s horrible voice.  They deserved to get big, though, as they did thanks to the great “Float On” they released with their last album.  We Were Dead is my favorite Modest Mouse album because they just sound like a much tighter band.  If it weren’t for a couple of uncharacteristically overproduced/mainstream-sounding songs, this would have ranked a few spots higher.

“Dashboard” by Modest Mouse:

19)

Beirut - The Flying Club Cup

Listening to this album makes you feel like you’re traveling with gypsies in some obscure part of Europe.  The amazing thing is that Zach Condon, the guy who is basically “Beirut”, is only 21.  The kid is immensely talented, and this album really shows it off.  If you appreciate music at all, the footage of he and his bandmates performing every song in random places around Brooklyn is an absolute must-see.  It’s unbelievable.  I’ve included one of them below.

“La Fete” by Beirut:

18)

Caribou - Andorra

Caribou, like Menomena below, are a band who aren’t very easy to take in at first.  Even though it’s a little strange, it’s an oddly fascinating listen.  They were in Lawrence not too long ago, and I regret not going to see the show.  

“Melody Day” by Caribou:

17)

Super Furry Animals – Hey Venus!

Since first discovering them halfway through college, SFA has remained one of my top favorite bands.  They’re catchy, quirky, hilarious, have great harmony, and rock.  If these guys had been around in the early 70s, Lennon, McCartney, and Brian Wilson would have viewed them as their biggest artistic competition.  I’m convinced of that.  It’s also hard to believe that this is their eight album in their career.  I honestly can’t think of one other band who has churned out eight consistently great albums in a row.  These guys have.  I love how cheesy they made the video below, as well.

“Run Away” by Super Furry Animals:

16)

Dr. Dog - We All Belong

Dr. Dog is a band with a great classic rock sound, and We All Belong really turned me into a fan.  I read an interview once where Jeff Tweedy listed them as one of his favorites because they were so fun and loved to just sing their hearts out.  That’s exactly why I dig this album. 

“My Old Ways” by Dr. Dog:

15)

Patton Oswalt – Werewolves and Lollipops

I’ve been blogging for five years now and can only remember one other time I’ve included a comedy album on my “best of” list (the last album David Cross did).  I guess that means I consider this to be one of the top two comedy recordings of the past half decade.  It’s brilliant and funny and smart. 

14)

New Pornographers – Challengers

You know you’re a great band when your worst album is still pretty darn awesome.  Some fans of the band were turned off by them going for a more mature sound instead of their traditional sugary pop rock sound, but I found this one to be very rewarding after repeated listens.  There’s just more depth on Challengers than on their previous albums, and I think it took seeing them play these songs live to realize that.  I’ve always been a big fan of Neko Case’s voice, and friends of mine know that I think Carl Newman is one of the best songwriters of my generation (and that’s not just because I urinated next to him once in Lawrence and chatted with him after his solo show).  Long live the Porn.

“Challengers” by New Pornographers:

13)

Menomena – Friend and Foe

Ever since listening to Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, I’ve been a sucker for music that takes “normal” sounding melodies, twists them around, and creates a song without really losing the melody.  This album didn’t grab me immediately because of the strange time signatures and lack of instruments where you would traditionally expect them to be, and vice versa.  I could tell, though, that I would like it in time, and that is exactly what happened.

“Evil Bee” by Menomena:

12)

A Band of Bees - Octopus

Upon listening to this album, you’ll be left convinced that the guys in this band have a time machine that lets them travel back to the 60s, steal master recordings of great songs, and then travel back to today to record them on their own without anyone knowing.  Just a really fun album.

“Who Cares What the Question Is?” by A Band of Bees:

11) 

Bright Eyes - Cassadaga

I have an ongoing discussion with friends about famous people you’d like to punch in the face.  While there are quite a few that would rank towards the top (Paris Hilton, Nancy Grace, our president, etc.), Conor Oberst definitely makes my list.  Even though his talented, he’s always come across as a whiner.  To make things worse, his live shows are infamous for having female fans screaming and crying for him like he’s a Beatle on the Ed Sullivan Show.  Nevertheless, his lyrics are intriguing and he’s always shown flashes of brilliance that critics have talked about for years.  Cassadaga, though, is a full showcase of that brilliance and is easily my favorite album of his.  Highly recommended.

“Four Winds” by Bright Eyes:

10)

Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha

Anyone who reads this blog knows that I have a pretty big Andrew Bird man-crush.  The guy can do it all.  Lyrically, the subject matter of his songs are just a dark and twisted as his past material, and his music remains just as quality as ever.  It’s good to see that he found a bigger audience this year. 

“Imatosis” by Andrew Bird:

9)

Apples in Stereo – New Magnetic Wonder

The fact that this album isn’t being mentioned on more “best of” lists boggles my mind.  They upped the production this time around, but the quality of the songs still remains great.  They combine the best of any classic pop rock and put a modern twist to it.  If you even remotely like the Beatles, this is your album.

“Energy” by Apples in Stereo:

8)

The White Stripes – Icky Thump

I was having a debate the other night with some friends about who will be considered legendary in future generations.  There weren’t a whole lot, but The White Stripes was pretty much the first name everyone would say.  No one creates bluesy, soulful rock better than Jack and Meg.  As big as they are now, I don’t think they’ll be fully appreciated until they’ve stopped making music and released a greatest hits album.  I don’t know how Jack White keeps doing it, but I’m starting to think there may never be a time when he won’t.

“Icky Thump” by The White Stripes:

7)

White Rabbits – Fort Nightly

I’m surprised not many people seem to have heard of White Rabbits.  These guys, originally from Columbia, MO, created the best debut of the year, in my opinion.  In fact, Fort Nightly is quite possibly my favorite debut since Arcade Fire came out with Funeral.  I listened to this one tons in 2007 yet I can’t quite explain it properly to those who haven’t heard them.  They sound like a traditional rock band except they have a more dramatic sound as well as two drummers.  I didn’t hear of them until this past fall, and they apparently played the first slot at Lollapalooza this past summer.  I’m kicking myself for not seeing them because I’ve heard they put on a fantastic show.  They don’t have any actual videos produced so I had to grab some footage of a live show instead.

“I Used to Complain Now I Don’t” by White Rabbits:

6)

Band of Horses – Cease to Begin

If it weren’t for Arcade Fire, Band of Horses would have released the best sophomore effort of the year.  Each song is just as catchy as their first album, but the songs are considerably more diverse this time around.  On some songs, they really rock, some have a country stomp feel, some have reverb in the vocals, some don’t.  It’s obvious with Cease to Begin that this is a band who’s got it right. 

“Is There a Ghost” by Band of Horses:

5)

Arcade Fire – Neon Bible

These guys have become the epitome of an indie rock band becoming huge in just a short amount of time. You would think a band would surely choke when having to follow up what was arguably the best debut album of the 00s thus far. That clearly wasn’t the case.  Instead, Arcade Fire made a really solid album for their sophomore effort.  Granted, it’s no Funeral, but it definitely proves that the band is here to stay and is only going to get bigger.  And if the fact that Bruce Springsteen had the band come on stage and play with him at a show on his current tour is any indication, they could get huge.  I saw these guys three times this year, and their shows are some of the best you’ll ever see, too.    

“Intervention” by Arcade Fire

4)

Radiohead – In Rainbows

There’s really not a whole lot more I can say about Radiohead that hasn’t been said already.  They’re legends and Thom Yorke is one of very few artists whom is considered a genius by just about everyone who listens to music. If I were to factor in the creative marketing and distribution of In Rainbows it would be #1 on my list.  Without even listening to the music on the album one could still argue that it is one of the most important releases of the digital age.  It’s amazing to me that, if I were to rank all of the Radiohead albums in order, this one may not even rank in my top 3.  It’s still better than 99.9% of what’s out there, though.  These guys are that good. 

“All I Need” by Radiohead

3) 

Okkervil River - Stage Names

I was a big fan of Okkervil River’s last album, Black Sheep Boy, and have loved their latest one every bit as much.  In fact, this may very well be the most consistently solid album of 2008.  I listened to this again on my way home for Christmas and was just blown away at how good every single song on the album is.  Will Sheff’s style of folky rock manages to use quality production while capturing an authentic feel with good lyrics. 

“Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe” by Okkervil River:

2)

The National - Boxer

I really loved The National’s last album, Alligator, and their newest has me really believing they are going to be household name before long if they aren’t already.  It took me a while to get into Boxer because it’s a much more mature-sounding album than its predecessor.  There are no anthems this time around and the melodies don’t seem to unfold until after several listens.  Once they unfold, though, you are more than rewarded for it. 

“Apartment Story” by The National:

1)

Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Not only is this my most listened to album of the year, but I also believe it is the best.  Spoon has started to become a much bigger band in recent years, and it is completely well-deserved.  Whenever I try to describe Spoon, I tell people that if they like “It’s Still Rock n’ Roll to Me” by Billy Joel then they’d like Spoon.  Since I think pretty much everyone can safely say they like that song, using the law of deductive reasoning, everyone should pretty much like Spoon.  Friends of mine think it’s an odd comparison, but if you listen to “Underdog” (the video below) I think similarities are dead-on.  One thing I’ve always liked about Britt Daniel (and, to be fair, Spoon as a whole) is that, even though the songs are relatively simple and the guitars aren’t exactly cranked up to 11, they are still pretty experimental at times and completely rock.  For a band that has consistently put out really solid albums, I consider this to be their best. It’s time Britt Daniel’s name starts getting mention among the top current songwriters. 

“The Underdog” by Spoon:

Honorable Mention (in no order):  The Go! Team – Proof of Youth, Pinback – Autumn of the Seraphs, Feist - The Reminder, Southeast Engine - A Wheel Within a Wheel, Bishop Allen - The Broken String, Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, The Little Ones - Sing Song, Iron and Wine - The Shepherd’s Dog